I helped curate two Found Art shows in Woods
Hole in the last several years. The exhibits were
open to everyone who made art from
"found" objects, either man-made or
natural. Each artist defined Found Art in his or
her own way, and the show being non-juried gave
folks room to experiment...
The passion that brings Found
Artists together is the desire to take an object no
longer viable for its original use and transform it
into another image. The object is saved from the
trash heap.
Over 30 artists joined in the fun each time. The
range and the quality of art was wonderful; bells
made from used scuba tanks; mosaics created from
cracked dinner plates; an entire scene of two
dinosaurs attacking one another composed only of
branches from the woods; a sculpture of used tea
bags; a giant pumpkin filled with dry ice.
The artists enjoyed meeting one
another, swapping stories, and sharing their
stockpiles with each other.
Simultaneously with the show, several of us (Alfie
Glover, Bob Beardsley, Tommy Sousa) hosted a
workshop for the public, to teach the art of using
found objects. We provided a range of found
objects for people to use: ironing boards, crooked
nails from a razed warehouse, kitchen utensils no
longer usable, broken telephones. Those who wanted
to could bring their creations upstairs to join
the show.
Many people participated, half of
them children. Folks who didn’t consider
themselves artists were able to play without the
materials without fear of judgement, this
discovering the creativity within themselves.
“Plastic doodads, quirky old
appliances, rusty nails, coming together in a
symphony of insanity, and the result, Found Art, is
at once fascinating and perfectly hilarious.”
Geri Trudeau, Falmouth Enterprise,
2/23/01
One 8-year-old, as he exhibited a decoration he had
made, told me, “You know, I love being an
artist.”
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